SMC Loses to West L.A. in Last Game of Season
SMC loses to rivals West L.A. 42-19, but big plans for next season remain.
On Saturday, Nov. 20, the Santa Monica College (SMC) Corsairs lost to the West L.A. College Wildcats after a tense battle for bragging rights on the Corsair Field. The teams initially scheduled the football matchup to take place on Saturday, Oct. 2. The game was postponed after six SMC players tested positive for COVID-19 the week prior. Subsequently, the rivalry game was rescheduled to close the fall season.
Before kickoff, SMC Defensive Line Coach Charles 'Buck' Andrews spoke on the meaning of Saturday's rivalry game. "We feel that we're fortunate to [play] this game...we almost lost the opportunity to play against each other,” he said.
Coach Andrews was optimistic about the rescheduled Nov. 20 game. “We're all looking forward to coming out and doing the best we can," he said.
The Corsairs were unable to start off strongly, and fell to an early 21-3 deficit with 3:24 remaining in the first quarter. West L.A. secured a lead after scoring three rushing touchdowns on their first three possessions. Both teams traded one touchdown each in the second quarter, making it a 28-10 score at halftime.
After the first half, SMC aimed to climb out of the hole they dug themselves in, but could only put up nine more points. The West L.A. Wildcats added two more touchdowns to the scoreboard, making the final score 42-19.
Despite the loss, the Corsairs fought hard, giving their all for a game that was meaningful to many as the last together this season. Sophomore wide receiver Tariq Brown, who scored SMC's final touchdown of the season with 6:15 remaining in the fourth quarter, explained that this was his final football game playing with the Corsairs. "We only had seven sophomores, but we had a real bond going with the team and seeing that end is sad but everyone is going off to better places,” he said. ”I'm going to miss these guys.”
Sophomore defensive back Ja'Fari Thomas also reflected on the fall season and what the future holds for him and his team. "I'm just grateful to complete a football season at the age of 24 and still have a year to come back at the JUCO level," said Thomas. "I'm just ready to get back to work, really."
While the fall season has now concluded, Head Coach Kelly Ledwith still plans to find ways to improve the SMC football program in the upcoming off-season. According to Ledwith, COVID-19 created barriers for the team as the time spent training earlier in the spring, and numbers of players allowed to practice in a group, was very limited.
“We want to get more players in after COVID shortened recruiting season," Ledwith said. "Getting back to a full training cycle, and getting these guys physically prepared this off-season will be a big emphasis.” Ledwith also noted that the team will heavily focus on improving their technique.
The Corsairs end the season with a 3-6 record, and the team plans to put in extra work this off-season for more success next year.
